HA?>ri)BOr)K OF TnF.KS OF THE XoETFIEEN StATES AND CajN'ADA. 51 



The Butternut wlien growing in the open 

 rarely attains a greater heiglit than 60 or 70 

 ft., its short trunl^ sometimes 3 or 4 ft. in 

 diameter soon di\'i(jing into a few large 

 liranolies, which spread far out and make a 

 wide symmetrieal lUit or rounded top. In 

 forests it sometimes attains the lieight of 100 

 ft. It prefers rich soil along the banks of 

 streams and on low hill-sides, c(jn"nuonly in 

 company with the Beech. Yellow Birch, Alaples, 

 Elms, Red Spruce, etc. 



Its wood is light, a cubic foot when abso- 

 lutely dr^' weigliing 25.46 lbs., not strong, of a 

 gray-brown color and is valued for interior 

 finishing, cabinet work, etc. Us sap is rich 

 in sugar, and a fairlj' good quality of syrup is 

 made from it, though it does not harden to 

 form cakes ; its bark possesses cathartic 

 properties; its nuts make a delicious food, and 

 the shucks are used for dj'ing purposes. i 



Li'fjcr^ 11-17 in. lon.g, viscid-pubescent, with 

 stout petioles and 11-10 oblong-lanceolate yellow- 

 ish green rugo.se leaflets which are rounded and 

 nneciual at base, acuminate, finol.v serrate except 

 at base, turning yellow in autumn and falling 

 early. Flatrrrs (May-.Tune) ; staminate aments 

 IV^-.'il in. at first and elongating to ;i-ri in.; calyx 

 yellow-green usually 6-lobed with rusty pubescent 

 acute bracts ; stamens S-12 with dark brown 

 anthers and slightly lobed connectives ; pistillate 

 in 3-8-flowered spikes with sticky glandular hairs, 

 pointed calyx-lobes and briglit red plumose stii;- 

 mas usualby not fully unfolding until after Ulcera- 

 tion of pollen. Fruit in racemose clusters of "J-.i. 

 ovoid-oblong, IVj-^Vi in. long, sticky pubescent 

 with rough deeply sculptured 4-ribbed nut, 

 acuminate at apex, 2-celled at base, 1-celled above 

 and containing a very oily edible se(^d. 



'id' 



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